Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-07

5000 and 1000 Indians in the village
at the time Custer descended upon it.
and that the attack was not SO much OF
surprise to the red mon as has gem
orally been supposed. Gall says that
he saw the soldiers early in the morn
ing crossing the divide, and noted cere-
fully that the white men divided them
selves into three divisions. When Gus
ter's command swept off to the right
they lost sight of the force temporari-
ly, keeping their eyes on Reno, who
came directly down to the river,
seeking ford to cross over and fight.
Reno did cross over, paused minute
to rest and tighten girths, remounted
all his men, and rode up alongside
some ash timber mile and a half,
when he suddenly came in sight of the
village. When the soldiers saw all
these Indians the hugles sounded
"charge," the soldiers came rushing
like the wind upon their women and
children and killed many of them, but
the braves rallied in great force, turned
on the troopers, and chased them back
to the river, into which everybody
tumbled and scrambled up to the top
of steep hill opposite. When they
had Reno on the hill, the bucks in
great numbers tried to drive them OF;
but, not succeeding, the women, old
men and some bucks were left to guard
them while the others recrossed the
stream and hurried down to the other
end of the village, where the cry had
been raised that more soldiers were
coming. OF course this was Clusters
outfit, and we have no tale of that ter
rible affair except what the Indians tell
us.
From all that can be gathered, it
seems that Custer must have come
down as far as the river with his troop
ers, although Gall says he never got
within half mile of the stream; but
the footprints Of the cavalry horses led
in broad and well-detined trail clear
down to the river, Notwithstanding
Calls statement to the contrary. Gall
went with me, placed his foot on GER
tain spot, fully one-half mile from
| the river, and said fatty and positively
that the white soldiers got no nearer
the river than that point, and were
then first met by his braves and fought
back step by step to the ridge where
all finally persisted. When asked how
these footprints came on the bank, the
chief explained that they were made
by white soldiers on horseback who
had attempted to escape from the field
by going down ravine and then
crossing the river. These were met
by some bucks on the other side, who
turned them up stream again, and,
after racing parallel to the village for
nearly three-quarters of a mile, were
finally crowded into the water, and
they recrossed the river once more.
They came out just where all the cav
airy tracks appeared, and, after run
ming half mile farther, were finally
caught and knocked on the head with
stone clubs. The chief, who was un-
doubtedly the leader of the red forces
on that day, further says that only for
ty-three Indians were killed in all, al
though a great many afterward "fell
over and died" This phrase, L think,
refers to the wounded who died of
their injuries. This seems very small
percentage of casualties among the red
men, when it is considered that 24O
white bodies We're found on the field,
although more than 240 men yielded
up their lives on Clusters field, not
counting the killed and wounded of
Reno's and Benteen's commands. His
tory has been corrected somewhat
since that dark and bloody page was
recorded, and not the least important
Ic fhot tho md F,,1I
five to one all the white men in the
country, including the different COM
mands of Custer, Eenteen. l,eno, as
well as Gen. Terry's and Gen. Glib
bon's commands, then at the fork of
the two Horn Rivers, on the way up to
effect q junction with tho Seventh Cav
airy. Had they only known it the saw
ages could have swept everything be-
fore them, as they were in superior
force, armed with magazine rifles and
fighting for their lives, although MS
rule our North American aborigincs
have wholesome dread of artillery, of
which Gen. Terry had one or two pieces
along.
Another correction should be made
in the case Of Gen. Custer himself. He
did not wear long, golden hair, as has
been generally supposed, but had it
clipped short before he left Ii $ post to
take the field. He was also scalped,
like all the rest, but he being slightly
bald on the crown Of his head, scalp
lock was cut from further back. The
brave man died game, so every redskin
admits, and set an example for courage
and bravery which was followed by
every soldier in his battalion. Many
OF the white men were sadly mutilated.